Street railway or tramway



- (No Model.)

J. M. PRICE. STREET RAILWAY OR TRAMWAY.

Patented May 6 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. PRICE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STREET RAILWAY OR TRAMWAY.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,109, dated May 6,1890.

Application filed June 21, 1889. Serial No. 315,056. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. PRICE, a citizen of theUnited States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Street Railways orTramways, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecification and accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of a rail of novel construction, supports for therail, also of novel construction, and novel fastening devices, as willbe hereinafter fully set forth and each definitely claimed. I

Figure 1 represents a transverse section of a street-railway embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of a por tion of arail. a fastening-bar, and tie-rod. Fig. 3 represents a perspective viewof a stringer and supporting-base thereof. Fig. 4 represents a sideelevation of a portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a perspective viewof a cross-tie embodying my invention. Fig. 6

represents a perspective view of a portion of Fig. 5, a portion of astringer, and a clamping device on an enlarged scale. Fig.7 represents aperspective view of said clamping device prior to location in position.

Similar letters and numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a street-car rail, from whoseunder side depend the vertical flanges B, the latter having openings 1therein, through which is passed the bar or rod 0, which also passesunder the heads or crowns of the stringer D, and have their ends bentupon the outer faces of the flanges B, thus holding the rail firmly'tothe stringer, so that it is prevented from rising and falling byvibration.

The stringer D is formed of a flat band of suitable metal corrugated orcreased into folds of two or more truncated pyramids, flat or level ontheir heads and bases'or feet, and connected at the base in a series,the width of the stringers being such that they enter snugly between theflanges B of the rail and fit the flat center of the rail.

In the flanges B are openings to receive the headed tie-rod E, whose endis threaded for engagement of a nut, whereby the opposite rails may befirmly bound together, the gage maintained,andthe trackkept fromspreading. The stringer is supported upon a metallic base or stretcher Fof channeled form, and secured thereto by a clamp G, which is located onthe under side of the stretcher F, and having its ends passed upwardlythrough openings a a in said stretcher and bent down upon the base ofthe stringer, said ends being flattened or hammered, as at G, wherebythey tightly embrace the base of the stringer and firmly secure thestringers to the stretcher.

In Figs. 5 and 6 a narrow 'Tshaped crosstie H is shown, the samesupporting the stringer D, and having openings a a for the reception of'the ends of the clamp G. The rail is shouldered, as at 2, along itssides, so as to project outwardly and overhang the tops of the flanges BB, thus guarding the ends of the bars or rods 0 from being cut by Wheelsof vehicles, and also avoiding the formation of ruts in the roadwayadjoining the rails. The flanges of the rail add greatly to thevertical, lateral, and longitudinal strength of the rail, and distributethe weight superimposed upon the latter over the several heads of thestringer. At the joints of adjacent rails two bars or rods pass underone head of the stringer, one for each rail, (see Fig. 4,) thus assuringa perfectly true and continuous level for the surfaces of the rail, evenwhen the traction, and stopping the separate vibration of the rails,which-otherwise causes the usual j olting of the cars at the joints.

It will be seen that the several parts or members enumerated are formedof metal, thus avoiding the defects and objections incident to woodenties, stringers, &c.

A level is madein the road-bed at the proposed depth from the generalsurface for the stretcher or cross-tie, and the latter is located afterattaching to it the base of the stringer; The rail is then laid upon thestringer and fastened to the heads thereof by the bars or rods 0.Tie-rods are occasionally applied and the track brought to gage, whenthe usual filling in with stones, 850., follows, the surface under thestretchers being profitably faced or finished with small stones orcinders, cement, &c.

produce, with the fillings at the sides thereof,

The folds or undulations of the stringer rails are separated by theirmaximum con-' a-succession of closed air cells or spaces, in which thestringers prevent free circulation. These air-spaces, being excellentnon-conductors so long as the air is confined, preclude any seriousattack upon the earth just below by the frost, thus relieving it fromserious upheaval and inequalities produced by freezing and thawing.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A street-car rail or tramway-rail with Vertical ridges or flangesoverlapping and embracing the heads of ametallic'stringer folded intoalternate truncated pyramids, substantially as described.

2. A street-car rail or tramway-rail, in combination with a metallicstringer of continuous truncated pyramidal shape and a metallic support,the rail resting upon the heads of the stringer and embracing its sides,and the stringer resting upon said support, the rail and stringer andthe stringer and support being respectively bound together by metallicstraps, substantially as described. I

3. A street-car rail with vertical flanges beneath, in combination witha metallic un dulating stringer confined and embraced by the flanges,and with a metallic base or sup- .port upon which the stringer rests,the parts in contact with each other being interbound withmetallicstraps,substantiallyasdescribed.

4. A street-car rail or tramway-rail shouldered laterally and ridgedbeneath, embracing a metallic stringer on which the rail is seated, andsupported by a metallic stretcher or cross-tie, in combination with atie-rod or clamp across the road-bed, substantially as described. I 5. Astreet-car rail flanged beneath to embrace a metallic stringer foldedinto connected undulations of the shape of a truncated pyramid, incombination with the metallic stretchers or cross-tie under its feet andfastened thereto by metallic bars or bolts, with an occasional tie-rodabove, as at E, Figs. 1 and 2, to maintain gage, substantially asdescribed. 6. A support for a streetcar rail, consisting of a metallicstringer of the form of truncated pyramids, and a base or cross-tie onwhich said stringer rests, in combination with clamps passing throughsaid base and embracing the bases or feet of said pyramids,substantially as described.

'7. The combination of a rail having depending flanges and shoulderedsides with an undulating stringer having its heads embraced by saidflanges and bars passingx through said flanges and beneath said headsand having bent ends, the said shouldered ends of the rail being overand above said bent ends of the bars, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a channeled stretcher with openings therein andundulating stringer on said stretcher, and a clamp having its endspassing through said openings in the stretcher and bent on the feet ofsaid stringer, substantially as described.

JAMES M. PRICE.

l/Vitnessesz JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, TM. 0. XVIEDERSHEIM.

